ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

318Cezar Avram, Diana Păunoiu, Laura Savainhabitants (57.8 inhabitants per square kilometer) 3 , in 1930, the area within theCarpathians, Danube and Olt, represented 12.3% of the total surface of thecountry and 17.8% of its population 4 . In the same year, Oltenia had 14 urbanecommunes with a population of 198597 inhabitants (11.8% of the total ofHistorical Oltenia) 5 . In 1938 6 July, 1 st , the population of the five countiesreached to the point of having 1,609,873 inhabitants. That meant 11.8% of theRomanian population, with a density of 66,7 inhabitants per square kilometer.The period between the years 1918-1944 characterized itself through:the cereal character of agriculture, an important lack of the agriculturalequipment and tools, a fluctuation of the agricultural production because ofdraughts and other unfavorable climatic phenomena. There have been madeimportant changes in the structure of the estates due to the 1921 AgrarianReform, although this had not made quite a “common and rational” allotment ofthe properties. And this had major impact on the social and political life of thetimes, being followed by actions of the peasantry meant to demand more land 7 .From 1918-1928, the rhythm of reviving and developing Oltenianindustry have been subjected to the requirements of rebuilding the tools andequipments damaged in the years of conflagration, and this led to a slow pace ofindustrialization. Still, Oltenia has achieved a great deal of favorabledevelopments in its economic structure.There have been noticed numerous signs of revival in the field of tradein the entire period due to the high interest of State and entrepreneurs in theeconomical life of the region. The political parties, the officials and even privatepersons have supported the reconstruction and development of the commercialsector, considering it is an important link of the national economy. Thedocuments from the Archives reveal that the majority of people engaged in thecommercial sector have required a regime of liberalization for trade on behalf ofState and, also, of an aid through allotting credits, without restricting orcontrolling merchandises’ sales on both the domestic and foreign markets.Beginning with 1924, the volume and value of trade in the regionreached the internal level before the War. In the Recession Years, this field assubjected to suspension in some sectors in opposition with the years 1926, 1927and 1928. Beginning with 1934 to the Romanian entry in World War II the3 The1915-1916 Romanian Statistic Annuary, Bucureşti, 1919, p. 16.4 Calculated Ibidem 1935-1936, Bucureşti, 1937, p. 32-33.5 Craiova, with 63063 inhabitants, followed by Turnu Severin with 21073 inhabitants,Râmnicu Vîlcea with 15162 inhabitants, Caracal with 14769 inhabitants, Târgu Jiu with 12944inhabitants, Băileşti with 13279 inhabitants, Corabia with 9381 inhabitants, Strehaia with 7999inhabitants, Pleniţa with 7805 inhabitants, Calafat with 7705 inhabitants, Ocnele Mari with 7205inhabitants, Drăgăşani with 6923 inhabitants, Călimămeşti with 2983 inhabitants, Govora with 911inhabitants (calculated Ibidem, p. 33-34).6 Calculated Ibidem 1939-1940,…, p. 43-128.7 Ion Saizu, Economical Politics of Romania in 1922-1928, Bucureşti, AcademyPublishing House, 1981, p. 78.